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Joe Cole says 25-year-old player Arsenal want to sign could be as expensive as Declan Rice
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move to sign Douglas Luiz, and Joe Cole believes the Aston Villa midfielder could cost as much as Declan Rice in January.
The Gunners are expected to be active in the winter window. Mikel Arteta needs a couple of players to give his side the best chance of going all the way in the title race, and Luiz’s name has come up a lot over the last few weeks.
Joe Cole says Douglas Luiz will be as expensive as Arsenal’s Declan Rice
Arsenal smashed their transfer record to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United in the summer.
The Englishman cost the Gunners a staggering £100 million with an additional £5 million set to be paid as add-ons if they’re met ().
After Arsenal spent such a huge fee, Todd Boehly’s Chelsea went and splashed £115 million to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion ().
That has inflated the market for midfielders, and Joe Cole believes Arsenal target Douglas Luiz will cost a fee in the same region next month.
He said on : “If you’re looking at the price tag around them (Rice, Caicedo, Enzo), it has got to be in the ballpark.
“He has been performing in the same league as them, performing better than Caicedo, arguably. Rice has been outstanding as well, as he has been.
“But he is in and around them numbers and he’s a huge asset for the club.”
Douglas Luiz is not a £100m player
Douglas Luiz has been amazing for Aston Villa this season.
The Brazilian, 25, has always been a good player, but he has taken his game to a whole new level under the tutelage of Unai Emery over the last year.
However, as good as Luiz is, he is not worth £100 million. Declan Rice is levels above him, and even though Arsenal view him as their priority target, it makes no sense to pursue a deal if Aston Villa‘s demands are that high.
It will be interesting to see what will happen next month, but we just can’t see Arsenal spending anywhere near £100 million to sign Luiz in January.